memory-making

I went with the Uganda, Ghana, and Tanzania teams to Tumutumu Deaf School for church today out in ... well, Tumutumu. =) It was a 3 hour drive one-way, full of eventfulness. First, we were all exhausted and sore from a two-day sports competition and games weekend of celebration on almost completing the current story sets among all 7 translation teams (Praise the Lord!). So, none of us were too excited about 6 hours in the car... but, by the grace of God, we're none the worse for wear!

On the way to Tumutumu, we seemed to have a car problem, so the driver jumped out with a bottle of coke which he proceeded to dump on the battery. The result was a minor fire about 5 minutes later--in which we all quickly vacated the van!! Soon, we were on our way again (yes, in the same van -- Hey, this is Africa). Good conversations on the way. Good fellowship at the school with about 150 Deaf kids. =) Beautiful faces and precious lives. I had more names spelled to me today in one stretch of time than ever before, I think -- and I'm pretty sure every last name began with "M" or "W".

On the way home, anyone who slept immediately began the victim of blackmail photos. ;) So, naturally, I decided to stay awake. We had a 20-minute conversation about my hair as I got asked the questions everyone apparently had wanted to know but nobody had wanted to ask about my "mzungu hair". We got bananas for a steal at a roadside market -- about 30 bananas for $1! I broke out carrot-raisin bread I'd made the night before and, as a result, received a half-serious marriage proposal over my cooking. Then we got caught in flash flooding and I felt like I was in a theme park water ride... as we drove through water deeper than we'd consider driving through back home! My feet got a bit wet as some water splashed up through the floorboard! Yes, true. But we did all arrive home in one piece without any additional troubles -- praise the Lord!

The evening ended as one of the campus guard dogs got out while the guard was cleaning their pen, right as one of the students was walking back to the dorm. I heard him yell and the responding bark from inside the cafeteria... and running to the door, found him racing towards me waving me back inside. Thankfully, he was carrying a DVD with him, which he was able to throw to distract the dog while he got away! Whew! Close call... the guard collected the dog and assured us the coast was clear. Yikes! I couldn't stop laughing as he shared the story with others, out of sheer relief nobody was attacked!

And, thus ended my Sunday. Another beautiful day in Kenya. Another ordinary day of extraordinary experiences that has become my "normal" here... and will soon become simply "sweet memories". How I will miss these faces, these people, this place.

See the pictures from our trip here: http://s1126.photobucket.com/albums/l603/undivideddevotion/Tumutumu%20Deaf%20School/

The Tumutumu Deaf student body sends their greetings and love! =)